Manatee Community Foundation grant to help Animal Services offer free spay/neuter

A Manatee Community Foundation grant will allow Animal Services to resume providing free spay or neuter surgery to low-income residents.

The $10,000 grant through MCF’S Bill and Maryann Vinall Fund will supplement the county’s funding allocated toward the service, which already ran out, according to Sarah Brown, Animal Services chief.

“There is such a need,” she said. “We are very thankful that the community foundation has decided to grant this to us.”

The $60,000 the county uses for this service was expended by March, only six months into the current fiscal year, according to the grant contract.

Low-income qualified citizens can receive “free spay or neuter surgery for up to two pets,” according to the county commission agenda for Tuesday, when commissioners will officially accept the grant.

Local nonprofit organizations must apply to Animal Services for funding directly through Manatee County to provide the surgeries, Brown said.

“The more animals we can get sterilized, the less animals we will see coming into our facility and it makes them healthier,” Brown said.

MCF will also match up to $5,000 in donations received from the public before Sept. 15, according to Susie Bowie, MCF’s executive director. Checks made out to Manatee Community Foundation can be mailed to 2820 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton, 34205 and Animal Welfare Fund should be noted in the memo.

“We were made aware that there was a shortfall in the budget to fund spay/neuter,” Bowie said. “We understand how important this is for getting animal population under control. Manatee County is a really important partner for Manatee Community Foundation and we wanted to be responsive for the need.”

Through the Bill and Maryann Vinall Fund, MCF donates to animal welfare needs in the community. Bradenton Police Department received a grant to send two officers to training to be “better equipped to deal with animal cruelty cases,” according to Bowie.

“There are so many needs in Manatee County when it comes to animal welfare,” Bowie said.

This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Manatee Community Foundation grant to help Animal Services offer free spay/neuter."